Bark Kruzenshtern open to residents, guests of Sevastopol naval base

SEVASTOPOL, May 08. /ITAR-TASS/. The four-masted bark Kruzenshtern, which pulled into the Russian Black Sea port of Sevastopol overnight to May 6, was open to visitors, both local residents and guests, on Wednesday.

“Sevastopol is a very special place. It features prominently on our schedule,” said Captain Mikhail Yeremchenko. “The things that the cadets can see here cannot be found in any book or seen in any film. We are here to give our cadets a chance to visit world-famous historical sites of wartime glory. Also, we are very pleased at the opportunity to show our ship to so many guests.”

Yeremchenko said the ship had arrived in Sevastopol earlier than it was originally expected because one of the crew members suffered an acute appendicitis outbreak. The sailor has now been successfully operated on at the Black Sea Fleet’s hospital. He is well and will be back on board before the ship’s departure.

The Kruzenshtern had arrived in Sevastopol from Varna, where it had participated in the International Black Sea race. Captain Yeremchenko said the latest political events had had no effect on relations between sailors of different countries.

“Relations with the crews of foreign sail ships have been excellent all the way and they remain so. All political issues are far-fetched. Sevastopol has always been a Russian city. The Black Sea Fleet has always had its base here,” Yeremchenko said.

On May 8, the Kruzenshtern will drop anchor inside Sevastopol harbor to participate in a naval parade on the occasion of May 9 Victory Day. Then it will reopen to visitors for sometime again. Its departure from Sevastopol is due in the evening of May 10. Captain Yeremchenko promised all sails would be up in case of a tailwind. The Kruzenshtern is due to visit Sevastopol again next spring.